


opal

by simplecaelum



Series: heterochromia [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Beaches, Christmas, Holidays, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Meet the Family, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-09-02 09:16:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16784053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simplecaelum/pseuds/simplecaelum
Summary: After three years together, Shiro is finally going to meet Lance's family for Christmas.Lance thinks that's why Shiro is so nervous. They're soulmates, and his parents already love Shiro, so he shouldn't be nervous, right?But Shiro knows something that Lance doesn't.





	opal

**Author's Note:**

> Happy very late (I am so sorry this is so late) birthday to Adrian! I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Also how about that SEASON 8 TRAILER??? I have so many words and all of them are screaming. In the spirit of Voltron and Christmas, I present to you the final installment of heterochromia~

Shiro pulled the zipper shut on his suitcase, checking the time again. “Lance!” he called, putting his phone to sleep and shoving it back into his pocket. “We gotta go if we’re going to make our flight!”

“I’m right here, Takashi, no need to yell,” Lance replied playfully from the doorway. “I’m all ready to go. I’ve been ready for the past week,” he laughed. He walked over to Shiro and stood on his tiptoes to kiss the stress away from his boyfriend’s features. “I know I’m usually late to everything, but I’m excited to see my family.”

Shiro smiled warmly down at him, accepting the comforting kiss. “Me too, though I have to admit, I am slightly nervous about meeting them in person.” Lance opened his mouth to probably smart off, but Shiro didn’t let him. “I specified _in person_ , smart ass.”

Lance shrugged, a smirk crossing his lips. “You love my ass, and you know they already love you. Not as much as _I_ love you, but that’s beside the point,” he teased. “Now who was it that was concerned about missing our flight? Oh yeah, that was you,” Lance winked, stepping back with a poke to Shiro’s chest. Shiro moved to grab his hand but he pulled away at the last second. “Come on, if we miss our flight we can’t join the Mile High Club.”

“Oh you’re pushing it now, kitten,” Shiro breathed, half considering teaching Lance a lesson, but deep down knew they didn’t have the time. Of course, that was probably exactly why Lance was acting the way he was. Shiro couldn’t do anything right now and Lance knew it.

Shaking his head and smiling to himself, he grabbed his suitcase off of the bed and followed his boyfriend out of their apartment.

One Uber drive and an hour later, both men sat in their seats, luggage properly stowed, and half listened as the steward gave the typical instructions.

Shiro kept his eyes peeled to the sunrise outside. He knew his leg was bouncing, almost as if agitated, but hoped Lance wouldn’t notice. It’s not that he hated lying to Lance - but he hated lying to Lance.

Regretfully, it was something he’d had to do more often than he preferred lately. Of course, Shiro knew it was justified, and that Lance would understand, but it still ate at him.

“Hey, you alright?” Lance asked, concern pulling his eyebrows together slightly. Shiro didn’t turn to look at him. He couldn’t. Instead he just nodded, eyes on the sunrise.

That became his mantra as the plane started to roll forward. Eyes on the sunrise. Eyes on the sunrise. Eyes-

Lance grabbed his hand and interlaced their fingers together, and Shiro couldn’t help but squeeze his hand gently.

This is why he loved Lance. Even when Shiro wasn’t cooperating, Lance still silently showed him he was there. Lance was perfect for Shiro. Which is why Shiro felt this had to be done.

Shiro wasn’t sure why his mind was choosing now of all times to be anxious. He was fine at the apartment and when they boarded, though he supposed Lance would just see his freak out as being scared of flying. That should work, if Lance felt forward enough to ask. There was a whole 7 and a half hour flight in front of them, which was plenty of time for Shiro to calm down and panic at _least_ three more times.

If Lance thought Shiro’s anxiety on the plane was bad, touching down in Florida nearly sent his soulmate into a full blown meltdown.

With the plane on the ground, Lance figured Shiro would calm down, but it only got worse. He considered that Shiro had been repressing and it had all flooded him now that he was safe, but when he tried to get Shiro’s attention, he noticed his attention was outside on the tarmac.

“Hey! That’s them!” Lance nearly shouted. Shiro flinched and Lance apologized sheepishly. “Shiro, are you that nervous about meeting my family?”

No. Not exactly, Shiro thought. “Yeah,” he said. “Something like that…”

His leg shook even more as he stared out the window at Lance’s family, and he felt Lance shift beside him.

“Shiro.”

He didn’t think he could look at him. It would be too much with his family right there.

“ _Takashi_.” Lance was more insistent this time, and Shiro had to look.

Their eyes connected and Shiro’s breath hitched at how close Lance was. He felt his cheeks start to heat up, painfully aware of how many people were around them.

“It’s going to be fine. Look at me,” Lance said, pulling away slightly so Shiro didn’t have to be cross eyed. “I’m going to be right beside you the entire time. You are my soulmate, and they love you already. I love you.”

Shiro hadn’t realized he was holding his breath, but looking into Lance’s eyes brought a sense of calm. Lance’s blue held his dark grey, and it reminded Shiro that they were truly made for each other. He nodded and took a deep breath, reassuring himself Lance was in this for the long run. How could he have ever doubted that?

“I love you too, Lance.”

Satisfied that Shiro had calmed down, Lance turned around to see how much longer it would take to get off the plane. When there was enough room, they stood up and got their bags from the overhead storage and headed down the plane aisle and down the stairs.

The Florida air was much more humid than the air back in Phoenix, and Shiro had to take a few slow breaths so that his lungs could adjust. Lance lead the way toward his parents, Shiro following him almost like a lost puppy. He’d never had much of a family, and on top of that he wasn’t exactly sure of the formalities that came with meeting your soulmate’s family for the first time in the three plus years they had been together.

He held back a few paces, letting Lance greet them first. Lance had explained that his family was large, but that Shiro would be meeting them in two stages, and while Shiro was happy to finally meet them, he knew Lance was even happier to see them again.

Rosa, Lance’s mother, was the first to greet Shiro, breaking away from Lance and pulling Shiro into a hug. For a tiny woman, Shiro considered her to be very strong as she wrapped her arms all the way around him and squeezed. He barely had time to hug her back before she started talking in rapid Spanish, circling him.

Shiro watched her go around him, wondering if he should have dressed nicer - or maybe he was overdressed? A plain white t-shirt and nice fitted slacks were appropriate in most occasions, and it was similar to what Lance had on.

“Mama, por favor,” Lance scolded, crossing his arms. He almost looked mad but Shiro could tell he was only trying not to blush. “You know he can’t understand you. I think you’re scaring him.”

His mother giggled and Shiro could only wonder what she had been saying. “Él es tu alma, mijo,” she replied happily, gesturing to Shiro. He could only understand basic Spanish, but Lance had called him alma enough times for him to know what that meant, and the rest he could decipher. “Él es muy guapo, ya sabes,” she said to Lance with a wink. He proceeded to blush darker, Shiro joining him at the mention of the word handsome.

Lance’s father, Nick, stepped up to break the growing awkwardness. He held his hand out and Shiro immediately took it. Handshakes he could do, being in a fraternity had taught him that at the very least.

“Nice to finally meet you in person, sir,” Shiro greeted as Rosa pulled Lance away for a moment.

Nick shook Shiro’s hand, giving him a warm smile. “Good man, Shirogane, but please, call me Nick. Welcome to the family.” Nick brought him in for a hug and he felt Nick slip something into his jacket pocket before stepping away and turning back toward his family, where Rosa was still talking to Lance.

Shiro breathed a small sigh of relief that Lance hadn’t seen. Too much planning had gone into this for it to be ruined now.

The two followed after Rosa and Lance to the car. Shiro slipped his hand into his pocket and ran his thumb over the small velvet box. He almost felt relieved, but knew there was more to come.

…

Meeting the rest of Lance’s family had gone just as smoothly, although a bit hectic at first, and as Lance had promised, he hadn’t left Shiro’s side the whole night.

After meeting the rest of Lance’s large family, Rosa showed them to their room, which was Lance’s old room, except now with a queen size bed rather than the old twin.

“I know it can be a bit overwhelming, so feel free to hide out here for a bit, but I expect to see you both at dinner!” Rosa instructed before leaving them alone.

Lance’s room wasn’t too far away from the living room, but with the door closed the noise was quelled to soft background chatter.

“So what do you think?” Lance asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Their suitcases had been set at the foot of the bed, and Shiro carefully took his jacket off and draped it over his suitcase.

“You definitely have a big family,” Shiro confirmed with a laugh, moving to sit next to Lance on the bed. “I like them, though. How could I not?”

Lance smiled softly at him and then rested his head on Shiro’s shoulder with a sigh. “I know. I don’t know why I was nervous, maybe because you were so nervous… but I’m glad everything is going well.”

“Everything I going great, and it’s only going to get better,” Shiro reassured him, placing a kiss on the top of his head. “We should probably get back out there before they start getting the wrong idea. Don’t want your family thinking I’ve corrupted you,” he half joked, much to Lance’s amusement.

Lance rolled his eyes and pushed off of the bed. “But you _did_ corrupt me,” he protested, crossing his arms.

Shiro followed after him with a smirk, placing his hands on Lance’s hips and leaning close to Lance’s ear. “Oh, I haven’t done anything yet, kitten,” he whispered darkly. “However,” he said, soon pulling away and his voice returning to it’s normal level, “now is not the time nor place.”

Lance shivered, always amazed at how quickly Shiro seemed to flip, like a light switch. He had admitted long ago how hot it was, but Shiro was right. Not the time nor place.

“Come on,” Lance agreed, brushing off his slight frustration. “Let’s go hang out with my family.”

Not long after they had left behind the privacy of their room, they were seated in the living room, surrounded by most of Lance’s family. Most people had settled in the living room, watching the kids play a variety of games, and some of the adults playing card games.

Shiro noted that the house wasn’t decorated too much for the holiday, and he remembered Lance telling him that Christmas was pretty different for his family than the rest of the country. It wasn’t so much a celebration of Jesus as it was about being together with family. Like Lance, a lot of his family had scattered around the United States, following jobs, school, and even people, but his parent’s house on the coast of Florida remained the home base for the holidays.

Most of the family had arrived a few days beforehand, but due to work schedules, Shiro and Lance were the last to arrive on Christmas Eve. No one commented on their delay, which Shiro was thankful for.

The conversation drifted between English and Spanish, so Shiro only caught half of it, but it seemed that everyone was catching up with each other. It was hard not to feel a bit out of place, but Shiro just smiled and talked to Lance and his siblings, who Shiro was a bit more comfortable around since he had talked to them over video chats with Lance.

Marco and Ellie’s two year old was content to climb back and forth between Lance and Shiro’s lap, undecided as to where she wanted to sit. Lance laughed and poked her gently in the side as she made her way over to Shiro. She reached back with a pout and swatted his hand away, holding on to Shiro’s shoulder for balance.

“No pokes!” she scolded before continuing back and forth.

“Mija, be careful,” Marco warned gently after she went a little too fast and wobbled slightly. She turned towards him and grinned widely before leaning forward and falling off of Shiro’s knees. Thankfully she was heading towards Marco, who caught her easily as she let out a fit of giggles.

Shiro and Lance laughed too, before Ellie glared at them not to encourage her.

“Lance! Shiro! Will you come set the table, por favor?” Rosa called from the kitchen. Shiro immediately stood up to go help, but Lance stayed a few steps behind.

“Mama, he’s a guest, make Marco do it,” Lance countered.

Shiro glanced over his shoulder with a warm smile. “It’s not a problem, Lance. I’m more than happy to help. It’s the least I can do.”

Lance groaned but let it go, which Shiro was thankful for. He knew Lance would argue, but he needed Lance distracted so Marco and Ellie could put the finishing touches on the surprise.

Lance opened a drawer to reveal the silverware and Shiro smiled at the fact he still remembered where things were stored. It was the little things like that that showed Lance still felt at home here.

“The plates are up in that cabinet,” Lance instructed, pointing to the correct one. He glanced up to make sure Shiro had found it, only to be greeted with a warm smile. “What?” he questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

“Nothing,” Shiro replied simply. “I just love you is all.”

A blush dusted Lance’s cheeks and he cleared his throat before looking around the kitchen. His mom was the only one around, and she paid them no mind. He was sure he saw her smile though.

“I love you too,” he muttered back, toying with the silverware in his hand.

Shiro nudged him toward the dining room with a hand on his lower back. “Go, I’ll be in there in a second,” he promised.

Lance nodded and Shiro turned back around to grab the plates.

For as bold and playful as Lance could be when they were alone, expressing their relationship around his family made Lance take a shy turn, which amused Shiro to no end. Anything beyond what normal friends would do, Lance grew self conscious. It was cute, really. He knew Lance wasn’t embarrassed of him, it was more so of keeping those two parts of his life separate, which Shiro could respect.

Shiro glanced towards the dining room, making sure Lance hadn’t snuck off, but he was still there, setting silverware on each place mat.

There were only so many plates, and Shiro grabbed the ones on the bottom shelf and joined Lance in the dining room. He hoped Lance would still like what he had planned.

…

Dinner almost seemed to pass too quickly, much to Shiro’s relief and dismay. Conversation drifted between everyone’s upcoming plans, the kid’s excited recount of school life, and other random topics, though all were civil. It was interesting for Shiro to see Lance interact with his family around the dinner table, when most of their meals at home consisted of playful banter and the occasional food fight.

“Lance,” Nick said once conversation had come to an end. “Why don’t you take Shiro out to see the beach, I remember him saying once he had never been.”

Shiro had not, in fact, said this to Lance’s dad at any point - not that Lance would know this, but Shiro still hoped Lance wouldn’t question it. This was the final piece and everything would have gone according to plan.

“Don’t you want us to help clean up?” Lance asked, and Shiro held his breath and tried not to look apprehensive.

Thankfully Rosa had anticipated the question and promptly replied, “Of course not, you helped set the table, mijo. Veronica and Marco can help clean up.”

“Alright, if you insist,” Lance shrugged, standing up alongside Shiro.

Glad that Lance hadn’t fought - Rosa was right when she said he wouldn’t too much - Shiro took his hand and led him towards the back door, the lingering conversations fading to the background and then altogether once they were outside.

The night air held a chill that almost made Shiro shiver, but he held it in, too nervous to let something like being cold affect him. Lance closed the door himself before pushing up on his toes to kiss Shiro.

“That went well,” Lance laughed lightly as he started to pull Shiro towards the beach behind the house. “Hey, someone lit the torches!” he exclaimed and pulled Shiro’s hand a little harder. He didn’t get very far before he was tugged back. Turning around, he saw Shiro smiling warmly at him. “What?” he asked softly. His feet carried him forward to close the distance, and he felt Shiro’s warmth. It almost made him take one more step in order to escape the chill, but he left that step to his boyfriend.

Shiro cupped his cheek gently and Lance could barely make out his features as the light flickered from the torches below. “You’re beautiful.”

The words were soft and barely audible, but Lance heard them clearly. He felt Shiro’s other hand come up to tuck something behind his ear. Somehow Lance knew it was a flower and a blush spread across his cheeks. Maybe Shiro can’t see it in the dim light, Lance hoped, but it didn’t matter because his eyes slip closed as he took that step and leaned in to kiss Lance deeply. He tilted his head so the flower stayed in place, which Lance was thankful for. He didn’t want to lose it just after he got it.

The warmth of Shiro’s lips was a welcomed one, and as they kissed Lance felt Shiro smile against his lips. He wasn’t sure who pressed closer, but it didn’t really matter. Lance melted into the kiss and had just gotten a hold of the front of Shiro’s shirt when the hand on his cheek gently pushed him away. He resisted the urge to whine, remembering they were at his parent’s house and anyone could come outside at any time.

“Come on, show me this beach,” Shiro prompted, causing Lance to sigh.

Reluctantly, Lance did as Shiro said and took his hand again, leading him down to the beach where the torches lined the walkway. Coming closer, Lance realized there were torches scattered along the beach itself, too.

“I wonder when they added more…” Lance muttered, mainly to himself.

The sounds of the Atlantic ocean filled the silence between them as the concrete path faded into sand. It sounded like home to Lance, and suddenly he remembered how much he missed the beach and the ocean.

Moving to landlocked Arizona years ago had been a hard decision, but the promise of a full scholarship had been to much to pass up. Marco had put off college for a few years in order to save up so he could afford it, and had been the main one to encourage Lance to take it, even if it meant being away from his family.

The salty wind whipped his hair around as he stared out into the darkness. Shiro squeezed his hand, pulling him out of his thoughts, and Lance realized he had stopped walking at some point.

“You okay?” Shiro asked softly as he glanced sideways at the other.

Lance nodded before he let his gaze drift back to his boyfriend, giving him a warm smile. “I just miss the ocean, that’s all,” he admitted.

Shiro nodded and motioned down the beach. “Let’s walk.”

Their shoes crunched and shifted as they walked on the damp sand, vaguely aware of the rising tide. Hand in hand, they let the peacefulness settle over them. They slowed to a halt and Shiro stepped in front of Lance, taking his other hand and holding them in his.

“Lance,” he said softly. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Takashi,” Lance replied warmly. He noted there was a slight edge to Shiro’s voice, but he decided not to comment on it, thinking it could be that he was just overwhelmed from the day.

“You are my soulmate,” Shiro continued. “You are my everything, as I am yours. The past three years have been the absolute best of my life.” He paused to take a breath and touch his forehead to Lance’s.

“Even the day we met and I almost fought Keith?” Lance lightly joked, lacing their fingers together. He felt Shiro’s breath on his face as he laughed, and Lance wanted nothing more than to kiss him.

“Especially the day we met. I would say you have no idea what that was like, but you know exactly what it was like.” Lance saw him take a deep breath and close his eyes. If he didn’t know better, he’d say Shiro was almost… nervous. Why would Shiro be nervous? “You are my other half, the person who knows me best, knows how to make me laugh, and probably you probably know me better than I know myself.”

Lance studied him curiously as he opened his eyes and took a step back, putting distance between them. They were still holding hands and Lance had half a mind to pull Shiro close again, but something seemed off.

Shiro looked into his eyes and smiled before dropping their hands. He reached into his pocket.

Wait.

“Lance Serrano, I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” His hand came out of his pocket and he dropped to one knee, holding a small black velvet box out in front of him.

Lance’s hand shot over his own mouth in shock, and he felt tears welling up in the corner of his widened eyes. He had always known they would get married at some point - that was a given - but they had never really talked about it. Happiness filled Lance’s chest and he couldn’t help but let out a light laugh. How had he not seen this coming?

“Will you marry me?”

The small box opened as Shiro spoke, and Lance couldn’t hold back the tears then. Inside was a ring he instantly recognized. The thin silver band held a small iridescent stone that shone in the fire light. His abuela’s [opal ring](https://www.etsy.com/listing/561565955/opal-ring-silver-opal-ring-gemstone-ring?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=opal%20ring&ref=sr_gallery-1-23&organic_search_click=1).

Lance nodded his head quickly, sucking in a breath. He didn’t know when he had even started holding it. “Yes,” he choked out. “Yes, I’ll marry you, of course.”

Shiro pulled out the ring and closed the box. He held out his free hand and Lance gave him his left hand, letting him slip the ring onto his finger.

The stone reflected pastel jewel tones as Lance held his hand out in front of him, still half disbelieving what had just happened. How Shiro had even found out about the ring was a mystery, but Lance was happy he had. It was perfect.

After shoving the box back into his pocket, Shiro stood up and met Lance for a deep kiss. He felt his heart soar. Lance had said yes. Of course he had said yes. What else was there to say?

“I love you, Takashi Shirogane. I’ll love you forever.”

Their lips had barely parted and Shiro kissed him once more, wrapping his arms tightly around his waist. Lance wrapped his arms around his fiance's neck in return, feeling happier than he ever had before.

His fiance.

Blushing, Lance realized he would have to get used to the sound of that. At least, until the actual wedding.

**Author's Note:**

> hahahaha I posted this without a summary originally I'm so good at this.


End file.
